At PlantMinded, we are passionate about transforming urban spaces into lush, productive gardens using organic and permaculture principles. Our journey began when Jack and I first met, when he ignited a love for permaculture deep within, inspiring me to delve into the world of sustainable gardening. Jack had been volunteering at the local community garden where permaculture was the center of everything. He had also been implementing permaculture principles that he had learnt from extensive research, from his mentor at the garden center, and from an organic farming course he was taking online. Needless to say, he was overflowing with knowledge. Knowledge that absolutely turned my world upside down. 

I had grown up on a 100 acre property that was completely off-grid. We had solar panels for electricity, rain water tank and a solar powered bore to pump water up to the dams in case of a drought (which we had for 10 years while I was there). However, my experience of farm life was very much the 'traditional' way. While we didn't grow crops, (we had a modest herd of Angus cattle, a few horses, chickens and a constantly frost-bitten veggie patch that only ever seemed to grow zucchinis - at least those are all I can remember) my rural primary school and friends had instilled in me: till the land - with machines, sow monocultured seeds (crops of one type of plant), spray with pesticides/fungicides/herbicides, spray with chemical fertilizers, harvest - with massive machines etc etc. To hear someone you've just met tell you that everything you know is not only the wrong way to sustain life, but it's actually one of the biggest contributors to the rapid decline in our Earth's health and ability to sustain us as a species, you'd expect that to be slightly uncomfortable. But, the fact that I actually agreed with him.... well that shows you the urgency of the crisis before us.

And so that began our journey of fulfilling the dream of educating and facilitating peoples deepest instinctual need to connect. Connect with their land, connect with their community and best of all, connect with their FOOD!